Subtext
by n7shoujo
Summary: Subtext; by definition: an underlying theme or meaning (of a piece of literature) - a message which is not directly stated but can be inferred. A commoner/royalty type of romance would be so adoringly sweet, but too bad only Jin thinks this way. Lien disagrees because things aren't that simple. They never are. Ling Yao x OC [ten chapters, ten stages of love].
1. First Sight

Yooo, so instead of working on my other stories, I watched FMA:B for the second time in a long time and here I am with a Ling Yao x OC story. This'll only be 10 chapters, according to a Lunaescence challenge exploring 'the ten stages of love' - challenger: Ninja-chan (my lunaescence account name being Kyuun). There may be a sequel but only if this is well-received.

I hope you readers enjoy!

* * *

_First Sight (9)_

**Life and death are opposite ends of one spectrum but both are found everywhere-**

To be born into a high-ranking clan was a blessing.

So, likewise, to be born into a low-ranking clan could be considered a curse.

But how could you tell the difference when you were young and have never before seen the other side with the greener grass?

Lien Li adored her mother.

There were things she noticed that always seemed a little bit off, like the long sleeves and the bruised wrists or the smiles and the tired eyes – but despite that, she loved her very much. Her father, she'd never really known except that he wasn't there in the morning and afternoon but there in the very late night.

And what could a kid do but love, after all? To love and want it back in return. She knew what but not why and it wasn't her place to know why. So when her mother pulled her aside to tell her in simple words, 'You'll be staying here for a while', she didn't question her mother's intentions. Curiousity was dangerous and parents knew all, so she'd always be safe as long as they were there.

Besides, 'Ling Yao'. The name rang a bell and it wasn't a bad sounding bell either.

It went rather quickly: there was the horse ride all the way to a large house connected to all these other little houses, the burning sweetness of her mother's hand grasping hers almost desperately for whatever reason it did seem desperate, and then she was led to a room.

Her mother hugged her, and smiled that small private smile and exited. Then there were voices and a short time for Lien's typical almond eyes to travel around the room and then-

The first thing she noticed about him was his eyes.

They were either closed or very thin or maybe both. Maybe the same almond shape as hers, that is, if he opened his eyes in the first place. She couldn't tell.

"Are you the prince?" she asked then, because he was dressed in garbs she hadn't seen before. Bright and intricate and caressing the floor in a saggy heap because of the boy's sitting form.

A stagnant silent passed and he was either ignoring her or asleep. The former didn't make sense but the idea of it hurt. The little girl pursed her lips, eyebrows furrowing very lightly. Using her left hand, she swiped a few strands of hair out of her eye and diverted her attention to the bamboo slides. The silhouettes of her mother and Ling's mother stood and wavered. Hushed voices illegible and muffled.

Lien's eyes flickered slowly back to the prince's after an eternity, unaware of whether she should be feeling uncomfortable because of his status or tired because the sun had long since went down and the birds were starting to murmur and begin their daily routine.

She shifted uncomfortably, fingering the hem of her plain cotton dress.

Could he even see her? He hadn't even acknowledged her presence and maybe she really should've felt more uncomfortable because he was a prince.

Or maybe her former ideas were right: he was sleeping.

She straightened and furrowed her brows at the boy. He was still. The possibility of him being asleep was very high and she wanted to check if her observation was true.

For a moment, she sat with her legs folded beneath her in a typical polite manner, a meter away from the boy.

And then she was in front of him, peering curiously at the slender lines that were his eyes.

That was when his lips stretched in an unexpected smile.

She pulled herself away with a jolt, falling backwards as a crimson blush rushed to her face – successfully overcoming her inquisitive expression, and when her mouth opened to spew an apology, the twelfth prince lifted an equally slender finger to his lips.

Her first order, whether or not either of them really knew it was.

She averted her eyes and allowed a tiny nod.

His smile widened as if he could read her thoughts but moments later when Lien glanced up for the second time, her lips parted because his eyes were open and trained on the bamboo doors in front of him. Only, his amused expression was swept away and his face seemed almost calculating.

The feeling that seized her reminded her of her mother and all the other adults. He didn't seem like he was her age, like her mother said. No, he seemed like one of the adults. Knowing.

Intimidating, almost.

Her eyes trailed over his face and she began to feel apprehensive. She didn't feel good and where was her mother? The atmosphere took a severe steer towards a direction she didn't like but she didn't understand why she didn't like it.

Abruptly, the smooth _shhhaa_ of bamboo against bamboo met her ears and in front of her appeared a tall lady with painted red lips parted in a kind smile.

"Lien," she murmured in a beautiful tone, "you're going to be staying with us now. Is that alright?"

Sluggishly, Lien nodded. _'Do whatever they tell you to do, alright Lien?'_

After all, what could a kid do?

And yet… as the prince's mother continued, her eyes couldn't move from the bamboo doors when a sudden realization occurred in her mind. She didn't know how long she stared but her mind had long since formed the question in her mind.

Ah.

Her mother wasn't coming back, was she?

.:.

_"__Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye to your daughter?"_

_"…__I'm sure."_

_"__But-"_

_"__This is for the best. Just… please, take care of Lien."_

_"…__you know I will. But in return, take care of yourself."_

_"…"_

_"…__you will, won't you?"_

_"__Please… tell Lien that I'm sorry."_

_"__Feng-"_

_"__I'll try."_

_"…__when the Li clan is safer, you'll come back."_

_"…__this is for the best."_

_"__Are you sure-"_

_"__I'm sure. This is my problem. I don't want to trouble you more than I already have."_

_"__You-"_

_"__I have to go. I have to get back by sunrise."_

_"…__right."_

_"__I- I can't thank you enough-"_

_Laughter. "You know you don't need to Feng… but be well. Take that as an order, not a friend's request."_

.:.

Feng Li's hands clutched at her stomach as the rented carriage rolled away from the main Yao estate, breathing shallow.

Coarse minutes passed before she settled the queasy feeling in her stomach – pregnancy wasn't fun and maybe it'd have been a good idea to let the official 'Mistress Yao' know, but that would've worried her more: how fortunate it was for Feng's best friend to be chosen as one of the wives of the Emperor… personal taste was the deciding factor and one of her distant sisters was chosen out of the Li clan to bear an heir - she may've been a daughter of the chief of the Li clan but she was one of many.

But as they said, blood of the covenant was thicker than the water of the womb.

"T-tell me about yourself," Feng began despite her raspy voice, eyes clear with the intention of getting distracted from the sickness laying deep in her gut.

The carriage driver spared her a glance through a small square cut from the wooden planks holding the carriage together, his shoulder-length hair wiping across his cheek as he turned his head back to the dawn-lit road. Her question was barely heard over heavy footsteps of his horse but he indulged the lady with a little smile that she couldn't see.

"Well, Lady Li… my name is Huo, of the Song clan."

"Lady is an exaggerated title for the state my clan is in right now," she sighed, closing her eyes. "Call me Feng."

She'd enjoy his company while it lasted, for her husband's would later condemn her for the rest of the years she had left to live or her unborn child's.

Nevertheless… Huo.

Her palm came to rest at her slightly swollen stomach.

...Huo was a nice name.

-**and so are beginning and endings, because an ending is just a promise for a new beginning.**


	2. Introduction

_Introduction (13, nearly 14)_

It was four years after she first saw Ling that she'd actually _met_ the guy.

The past four years were spent learning 'proper etiquette' and waking up at the ass-crack of dawn to practice what she'd learnt. Safe to say the least, it wasn't fun nor was it pretty as proper etiquette didn't only include how to 'act' around royalty - how to carry yourself around them and all that crap - but how to fight using Xingese martial arts. She had the bruises, muscles and scars to prove it.

Lien spent the last four years hating the twelfth prince she belonged to and yet her hatred spurred from the idea that there was nothing to hate – she was here because her mother left her here and of all things to do, she should've hated her mother instead. Was it his fault that she was left here four years ago in a place filled with strangers? She didn't know but it might as well be, because she'd never blame her mother.

It was easier to hate a name and a blurry face, than to hate a person whose warmth she'd felt before.

From eavesdropping on the servants (although admittedly, she kind of was one herself) she'd come to at least three theories on why she was here in the first place.

One: her mother sold her to the royal family for supplies, because she was ill and needed medical attention. A formidable theory, if not for the fact that she seemed to be treated more highly than the other servants – for what other reason would she be allowed to learn martial arts from an actual Xingese master?

Two: her mother had promised her to Ling Yao as one of the many Royal Concubines/or potentially, one of his wives. Another okay theory, seeing as it happened to many other girls. But neither the prince of herself were of age and last she heard, matches for the Emperor's sons and daughters didn't exactly live with their partner, at least, not on the familial clan grounds.

Three: Lien was related to Mistress Yao in some way and something had happened to result in Lien staying at the Yao Estate. An interesting theory and she couldn't decide whether or not to pursue the matter or leave it be: confronting the mistress was harder than it seemed because she wasn't at the estate most of the time. This was the only theory that did not include her belonging to the prince in some way and she liked it far better than the others.

But then again there was no point in believing rumours. There were too many stories to count and she wondered when the maids would ever stop running out of ideas.

If anything was clear at all, it was that she belonged to the Yao family, or more specifically, its prince (it was an unspoken truth of sorts, but she didn't know where it originated: people tended to flock to each other and believe what others believed, which is why she accepted it in the first place). Her last name was a fuzzy figure to her and she'd never given it much thought when she was younger, when she was still with her original family. She couldn't remember it. It would be another thing to mention that all the rumours spoke never of her father and only her mother.

But she'd grown up, that fact was definite. Curiousity was dangerous, yes, but it was necessary. Her parents weren't there to shield her from the world-

"Lieeeen!"

The wooden chopsticks clattered against one another in her hands, only just managing to stabilise as Lien blinked.

"…Jin?" she then acknowledged, shaking her head before returning to her morning meal.

"You did it again," Jin pointed out, mimicking the action Lien had made seconds before and causing her ponytail to sway with the movements of her head.

"Sorry," Lien sighed, raising a dumpling to her mouth.

"As I was saying, today's a day unlike any other! The sun is shining, the birds are singing and I get to clean the dining hall with _Feng_ today!"

"Mm." Lien guessed she shouldn't mention the sun always shined in this part of Xing but Feng was a nice boy so she approved of Jin's infatuation with him, despite Jin being a few years her elder.

"Have you seen his eyelashes Lien? So feminine and beautiful… and his hair is so wonderfully black…"

"Ah." Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Lien refrained from telling her that a hair colour apart from black would be an odd sight to see in the halls of the Yao estate. They were all Xingese, after all.

"So, have you…"

Lien looked up inquisitively before she caught on to whatever Jin was beginning to imply. She chewed and swallowed.

"As always," Lien began, amused at Jin's quick change of disposition, "no I haven't."

"I see…" Jin murmured, leaning forward to rest her chin on her palms. "I just figured you found something out, with you being deep in thought and all…"

The younger female watched as a faraway look entered Jin's eyes.

"How did you end up here?" came Lien's abrupt question with the realisation that she didn't know anything about the past Jin had, despite meeting her two years ago (due to bumping into her while on cleaning duty). She pulled back with the same spontaneity and her hands lowered slightly as she quickly assured, "you don't have to answer if you don't want to, of course-"

Jin laughed, eyes crinkling and Lien's eyes flickered towards the tiny beauty spot beneath her right eye – "It's fine Lien, totally fine."

The shorter-haired of the two (Lien) relaxed and placed her chopsticks on top of her bowl as Jin smiled.

"I'm an orphan. A servant found me outside the estate and Mistress Yao decided to have mercy and take me in. I'm lucky, but my story is nothing special compared to any other servant's story, really."

Eyes soft, Lien picked at her dumplings.

People were galaxies and it'd do her good not to forget that.

"But you…" Jin commented, turning her head to the side to observe the bustling cooks and giving Lien a slight smirk, "something's definitely up with you."

**.:.**

The Yao estate was huge but compared to the higher clans' estates, it was average.

To Lien's small figure in the hallways, it loomed frighteningly. She'd probably never get used to it. The walk to the dojo was a long one – it may've loomed now but when she was younger, it haunted her. Seeing walls so large and yet so suffocating…

She sighed.

The black tank top she wore hung softly from her shoulders and she shifted her arms so that she could get a better grip on the books she was holding. First things first, she'd return the books to the study…

"Lien!"

Huh. That was a voice she didn't hear often; not in these parts of the estate.

"Lan Fan-?"

The clandestine soldier rushed by, pausing only very briefly to speak with a hasty tone.

"-have you seen the Young Master?"

Lien frowned, "…no, I can't say I have…"

Had he ever been in this part of the estate, where the servants and soldiers lived? To her knowledge, no, he had not. A clang of interest sprang into her mind, Jin's earlier words ringing in her mind.

_"…__today's a day unlike any other…"_

With a hurried nod of thanks, Lan Fan began running down the hall and Lien swivelled lightly on her feet to get a better look at where the bodyguard was going.

It seemed like today wouldn't be just another ordinary day.

Buuut she wasn't usually included in unordinary things, so, shrugging to herself, she turned around and proceeded towards the library.

Twice, she stepped and when she reached the third, she was falling before she could actually comprehend she was. With wide eyes, her grip on her books slackened before she squeezed her eyes shut (though what it did for her impending doom did nothing)-

-and opened them again to meet a pair of thin eyes that struck a chord of remembrance somewhere in her mind.

"Caught you!" the prince chimed, one arm securing around her waist and the other catching the books in a disturbingly neat pile.

"…that… was lucky," Lien muttered eventually, a rush of immense nervousness causing her to avoid looking at his face at their close proximity, "…thanks."

He said nothing as he helped her stand straight, lips permanently set into a cheery smile.

Resisting the urge to clear her throat, she ran her hands down her pants to soothe her suddenly sweaty palms instead. Great. This… this was the prince. His eyes were the thing that triggered the rest of his younger self's face to form in her mind's eye.

"You okay?" the tall teenager asked in a worried tone she didn't expect for him to have.

"Y-yeah," she hesitated, wondering if she should take her books or if he'd offer to give them back.

She didn't have the time to ask, because a faint voice in the distance called out – "Young Master!" and if she weren't mistaken, it was both Lan Fan's voice and Master Fu's.

_"__To be able to stand by the prince's side, you must be able to protect him."_

Alert, 'Young Master' stiffened and threw a quick glance at the source of the voices before his grin stretched and he nodded towards Lien in what she deemed as acknowledgement. So she was right – this was the guy she met all that time ago.

Then, he was sprinting away.

With blank eyes, she stared after the boy, watching as his yellow outfit flapped against the invisible force of air.

…he had her books.

She saw him pause in his step, look back with that same grin, and continue.

…he had her books!

She blinked once, opened her mouth and closed it.

Okay, he had her books. That meant she had to go after him.

"W-wait-!" she stopped mid-action to curse beneath her breath, legs straining with long strides that hopefully matched the boy's careless ones.

And then he laughed; a pretty melody.

By the time they'd reached the library (which honestly didn't take long from the pace they were going at) she was slightly breathless and Ling maintained his grin with laughter in his eyes.

"Did you want your books back, miss?" he asked innocently, almost playfully.

Something in his voice annoyed her.

Smoothly, she snatched the books from his welcome hand and her brown eyes flickered to his and away.

"…Lien," she emphasized, eyes narrowed.

If a servant were listening in on them, they'd probably sue her for insubordination at her impolite tone… but there wasn't.

Ling tilted his head.

"Ling Yao."

But as if she didn't know that. Not with those memorable, squinty eyes.

"Why are you running?"

He lifted a long finger to his pale lips and her mind flashed back to when she was nine.

"That's a secret."

Miffed, she shifted her body slightly towards the library doors.

They stood there in a silence she couldn't really determine was awkward or not and gave a coarse nod to the prince, to which he returned with a bigger grin.

Shaking her head to herself as she entered the study, she headed towards the allocated shelf her books needed to be placed in and began slipping the literature into the empty spaces. A few brief seconds passed when she tensed at the sudden warmth behind her and Lien slowly realised that the presence was following her the whole time.

She jumped as the prince's arm slid against hers to reach for the book she just put back into the shelf and held in the squeak that threatened to pour from the simple, sudden action.

"You're very unaware of your surroundings, aren't you?" he hummed amusedly, fingers tracing the spine of the book.

And there he went again, bringing that uneasy feeling back to Lien.

Without commenting on his observation, she replied with a voice of forced cheer, "You know that Lan Fan can sense where you are right? You won't be able to hide for long."

Unexpectedly, he gave a cheeky laugh and said, "You wouldn't sell me out, would you?"

From the corner of her eyes, she glanced at him; unsettled when she found that he was looking straight at her.

"…of course not."

And just like that, her anger was extinguished and she meekly resigned to playing the prince's game.

For Ling, he stood in a pleasant silence, and for Lien, she stood in a silence that was neither good nor bad.

"Ah," Ling suddenly exclaimed, eyebrows furrowing. "I gotta go."

She inclined her head, thoroughly confused but not bothered to ask. Maybe he had that sixth sense as well (though she wouldn't be that surprised, from the rumours that he too was a brilliant martial artist).

"See ya, Lien!" he shoved the book into the shelf and did some kind of twirl as he passed her and ran towards the door.

"Bye, Ling."

And then she caught herself, but the damage was done. He'd just escaped the library when she muttered, "I mean, Young Master."

Lo and behold, the twelfth prince of Xing.

…somehow she expected differently of him.

**.:.**

Later, when she was lying in her small chambers and when the birds outside no longer chirped, she found that she'd felt no feelings of hate towards him during the time she'd interacted with him. The interaction was sudden and thinking about it, there was no reason to have expecting anything at all from him – why was she so surprised he was worried when he was the one who bumped into her? He'd be rightfully worried, as it was his fault.

…she felt weird.

Like her previous views about the characters in her life were being challenged but she didn't quite know how to explain what she thought.

"So I heard you met the prince today…"

Jin.

"…is he attractive?" Jin waggled her eyebrows, a grin lighting her face.

Lien stayed silent.

If she had to say… maybe… he was? Pretty would be her designated adjective but-

"Wait, seriously?"

Had she said something out loud?

"Your silence tells me enough. Is he seriously attractive? I've never set my eyes on him but I've heard rumours-"

**.:.**

He'd always been curious about the girl who'd barged into his home in the middle of the night, only to be taken away by maids and the like, to be never seen again, except for some passing glimpses around the estate. To be a prince was to be busy, after all and today was the prime time to break into the servant's quarters without being hindered by his other 'princely duties'.

So when he saw her figure take small, gradual steps forward, hands burdened with books, he figured he'd help her out.

"…that… was lucky," she muttered, "…thanks."

If he hadn't have meant to bump into her so forcefully, maybe he would've agreed, with the way his reflexes kicked in to wrap his arm around her waist and pull him towards her protectively.

But he did mean to.

So really, he thought, smirking inwardly, luck had nothing to do with it.

He just wanted to make a memorable entrance.


End file.
